An undergraduate or graduate degree. An applicant's degree(s) need not be in Linguistics, but coursework or experience relevant to Linguistics is strongly preferred. Applicants with a bachelor's or master's degree unrelated to linguistics may apply for either an MA or PhD, however, admission to the PhD program for such applicants demands exemplary qualifications. Applicants who possess an MA in Linguistics or a closely-related field may apply for the PhD program and complete a reduced course load.
Successful applicants for the MA and PhD programs typically have undergraduate GPAs well above 3.0. Applicants with graduate records are expected to have earned at least a 3.5 GPA in previous graduate coursework.

The TOEFL or IELTS exam for non-native speakers of English. This requirement can be waived for applicants who hold a degree from a university within the United States or a university elsewhere whose language of instruction is predominantly English. There are other limitations on this waiver, so applicants should be in touch with the Graduate School at gradadm@uga.edu if there are any questions.

While there is no official minimum score required for admission, international applicants who wish to be funded by the department must possess a speaking score of 26 (TOEFL) or 7.5 (IELTS). Have official scores sent to the Graduate School using institution code 5813.

Three letters of recommendation. Letters from professors and other academic sources are highly preferred, though other letters will be accepted. Letters will be elicited from your recommenders via email through the Graduate School's online application process.

Statement of Purpose. Compose a brief essay of about 500 words which indicates why you want to study Linguistics at the University of Georgia. You will be prompted to submit this during the Graduate School's online application process.

A writing sample. Writing samples should be academic in nature and are normally a paper submitted for a course. Submissions must be in English. You will be prompted to submit this during the Graduate School's online application process.

Resume or CV. Since we wish to consider all applicants for all University-wide fellowships, scholarships, and assistantships, applicants should provide a resume listing their previous educational and research experience. You will be prompted to submit this during the Graduate School's online application process.